As severe flooding continues across Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is urging Texans to watch for fraudulent charities, donation scams, and illegal price gouging — with a state hotline and complaint tools available to report abuse
Consumer Protection hotline: 1-800-621-0508. Online complaints: texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection. Do Not Call Registry: TexasNoCall.com or 1-888-309-0600.
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued consumer guidance urging Texans affected by the state’s ongoing flooding — and Texans wanting to help those affected — to watch for fake charities, donation scams, and illegal price gouging on essential goods and services.
Well neighbor, this is the kind of alert worth reading all the way through, because unfortunately, every time Texas gets hit by a disaster, a wave of bad actors shows up right behind it. Fake charity phone calls. Websites that look legitimate but funnel money nowhere real. Contractors offering emergency work at three times the going rate. Sellers marking up bottled water, generators, and building materials. The attorney general’s office is asking Texans to know the warning signs, know their rights, and know how to report it when they see it.
“My heart breaks for the victims whose lives have been lost and every Texan who has been affected by the devastating flooding we’re seeing, and I will not allow scammers and bad actors to price gouge as the storms continue to impact our communities,” Paxton said in a statement. “Unfortunately, bad actors often try to take advantage in difficult times by operating fake charities, running donation scams, and price gouging.”
Paxton added: “Let me be clear: it is illegal for a business or individual to price gouge and unreasonably raise the cost of goods during a declared disaster. My office will work to ensure that Texans are not taken advantage of. Anyone who believes they have encountered price gouging or a scam is encouraged to call my office’s toll-free complaint line at (800) 621-0508 or file a complaint online at texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection.”
What price gouging looks like — and what to do about it
Under Texas law, once the governor declares a disaster, it becomes illegal for a business or individual to charge an “exorbitant or excessive” price for necessities like food, water, ice, gas, medical supplies, lodging, building materials, and services connected to emergency needs. If you see a business dramatically raising the price of essentials during a declared disaster — or a contractor offering repair work at an inflated rate to a flood victim — that’s the kind of conduct the state can act on.
If you spot it, report it to the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Texas Attorney General at 1-800-621-0508, or file an online complaint at texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection. Save receipts, take photos of price signs, and note the date, time, business name, and location of what you saw. Documentation matters — the more specific your complaint, the more the state can do with it.
How to spot a fake charity or scam donation request
According to the attorney general’s office, Texans who want to give money or provide support to fellow Texans affected by the flooding should protect themselves with a few basic checks.
Verify the charity before you give. Two national watchdog organizations track and rate nonprofits and can tell you whether a group is legitimate and how it spends donations. CharityWatch (formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy) at charitywatch.org rates charities and helps donors make informed choices. GuideStar at guidestar.org maintains data on millions of IRS-recognized nonprofits, including their tax filings and financial information.
Never wire money to a caller. Legitimate charities do not ask you to wire funds, buy gift cards, or send cryptocurrency to make a donation. If somebody calling for storm relief asks you to do any of those things, it is a scam.
Never share financial or personal information over the phone. Real charities do not need your bank account number, credit card number, or Social Security number over the phone to accept a donation. If a caller asks for those things, hang up.
Don’t trust a caller ID. According to the attorney general’s office, scammers routinely spoof phone numbers to make their calls appear to come from local charities or government agencies. Just because your caller ID says “Texas Relief Fund” or shows a Texas area code doesn’t mean the caller is who they claim to be. If in doubt, hang up, look up the charity’s real number, and call them directly.
Give directly, not through a caller. The safest way to donate is to go directly to a charity’s official website — one you found through your own search, not through a link a caller sent you — and give from there.
Reduce unwanted calls with the Do Not Call Registry
Texas maintains its own Do Not Call Registry that helps reduce unwanted telemarketing calls, including many scam calls. Signing up doesn’t stop every scammer, but it does thin the flow and gives Texans additional legal footing when a bad actor calls anyway.
Register your phone number at TexasNoCall.com or by calling 1-888-309-0600.
The National Do Not Call Registry is a separate federal list run by the FTC. Register at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236).
Some general rules of thumb
Here’s the short version, neighbor. When Texas is in the middle of a disaster, slow down before you spend, share, or give.
If somebody is pressuring you to give right this second before an “opportunity closes,” it’s likely a scam.
If a company is charging drastically more than usual for something essential to storm recovery, it’s likely illegal.
If your caller ID shows a name you don’t recognize claiming urgency, hang up and verify independently.
If a repair contractor knocks on your door offering fast work at high prices with no license or written contract, walk away.
Take five minutes. Verify. Look up the charity yourself. Compare prices. Ask for a written estimate. Check that a contractor is registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation at tdlr.texas.gov.
Every dollar you protect from a scammer is a dollar that can go to real Texans, real charities, and real recovery.
How to give safely and support real Texas relief
If you want to help Texans affected by the flooding, the safest path is to go directly to established, well-known relief organizations rather than responding to unsolicited calls or texts. The American Red Cross of Texas, the Salvation Army Texas Division, Team Rubicon, Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief, and local food banks all have active flood response operations across the state. Go to their websites directly and give there. Local United Way chapters in affected communities also coordinate direct disaster relief support in their regions.
You can also verify any charity you’re considering supporting at charitywatch.org or guidestar.org before you donate.
A word for our neighbors on the front lines
If your family is one of those affected by the flooding — first, we’re thinking of you. Second, protect yourself while you rebuild. Do not sign contracts under pressure. Do not pay cash in full up front for any repair work. Do not accept help from an unlicensed contractor without a written agreement. If a business is charging inflated prices for essentials while you’re trying to recover, report it. The state has tools to help, and Texans watching out for each other is one of the things that keeps this state going through even the worst of it.
Report suspected fraud or price gouging to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-621-0508 or file a complaint online at texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection.
Stay safe out there, neighbor. Watch your wallet. Watch each other.
Source: Office of the Texas Attorney General
